Crossing to the Turkish side

I had set the alarm for 0630 because if I woke up later, there’s a risk of feeling like death warmed up, due to the time in New Zealand.  The hotel buffet breakfast at 0730 was good with the usual selection of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern stuff (eg. tomatoes, cucumber, olives, cheeses).

I did a bit of reading after to plan my day.  Having already explored the Greek side by foot yesterday and with little interest in entering museums here, I decided to cross over to the Turkish side.

The Ledra Street crossing was just at the end of the nearby pedestrian mall.  Armed with my passport, I exited the Greek side and at the Turkish side, the officer asked for my vaccination certificate.  Northern/Turkish Cyprus requires this even though mainland Turkey doesn’t.

My EU one showed the date of the final jab only and that wasn’t sufficient for entry unless I quarantined for 5 days. Fortunately, my Malaysian one did and that did the trick.  Both were converted from New Zealand jabs.

Exploring the Turkish side

Right, I was now in North Nicosia in the Turkish Republic of Cyprus, recognised only by Turkey.  It was only about 0900 when I easily I found, without looking, the Buyuk Han an old caravanserai or inn from 1572.  It had been nicely restored with a restaurant and shops.   Next was the Selemiye Mosque, formerly the Cathedral of St Sophia, which was inaccessible while being restored.  Cathedral of St Sophia. Under restoration, I couldn’t visit.

The Municipal Bazaar was just next to the mosque.  I loved the high wooden ceiling with natural light provided by glass windows high up.

At first glance, the Turkish side was very atmospheric but a little further from the places I first saw, it was very rundown and quiet.  The other sights like St Nicholas and St Catherine’s were closed despite my visit during opening hours.

I continued my rambling through the old city and exited the city wall at the north end.  I made my way back to the crossing via the traditional shopping street, selling mainly fabric and clothing.

Quite amusingly, I heard this Englishman asking at a shop “I’m looking for a blowtorch”.  But the start of that request had me instantly concluding on something else.

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Ohi Day and a little wander

After about 1h30 on the Turkish side, I returned to the Greek side.  That’s when it hit me how bustling and modern it was in comparison.  That’s quite unexpected as I often find Turkey more industrial and developed than Greece; not that the two mainland countries are supposedly related to Cyprus officially.

At Eleftheria Square, there were many marching bands with some people in traditional Greek costumes.  I later found out that it was Ohi Day which commemorates the counter-attack by the Greeks against the Italians during the Greco-Italian War in 1940.

I took a small walk back around Faneromenis Church before having lunch.

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Walking the Green Line on the Greek side

I needed a rest as it was already night time in New Zealand.  My seemingly small lunch of a haloumi pie filled me up a little too well, making me feel rather sick and bloated.  I worked out at the hotel’s very good gym to revive myself before heading out again to walk along the Green Line which divides the Greek and the Turkish sides.

I started at the east end of the walled city, slightly north of Famagusta Gate.  I roughly followed the line on Google Maps but it wasn’t possible to do it in a straight line.  Some homes are built right up to the line and I had to go in and out of various streets, which led to dead-end blockages, to get a good look.

After about an hour, with slight drizzle along the way, I ended up at the Ledra Palace Hotel where there was a car crossing to the North.  The Kyrenia Municipal Council operates in exile here as the town is now in the Turkish North.  I similarly observed another town, Kythrea, which operates in the same way later.

After a delicious pork kebab from the nearby Armenian shop, I went to bed around 1930 feeling rather tired.